Agroland : The Agriculture Science Journal, 2019 June 6 (1) 49 - 56 ISSN : 2407 – 7585 E-ISSN : 2407 – 7593 FARMER PERCEPTION TO ISPO IN OIL PALM PLANTATION IN WEST JAVA 1)Ernah, 1)Apong Sandrawati, 1)Melania Fadillah, 1)Dewi Rengganis, 1)Sudarjat Sudarjat 1)Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University Email:[email protected] ABSTRACT Palm oil is one of the leading commodities in the world market that contributes to the Indonesian economy. In fulfilling market demand but environmental friendly, the Indonesian government issued a policy of sustainable standards known as the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) principle. This study aims to determine the farmers' perception of ISPO in the community of oil palm farmers in West Java. This study designed as qualitative research. The results show that not all standards were sustainable. ISO has been applied to oil palm plantations in West Java. For this reason, government efforts were needed to assist farmers in implementing the ISPO. Keywords: Farmers, Oil Palm, Sustainable, West Java, ISPO. INTRODUCTION Table 2 Area of Oil Palm Plantations in 2015. No Regency Area (Ha) Indonesia is of the largest palm oil producer in the world. Based on the status 1 Subang 158 2 Garut 80 of the concession in 2015, about 18 million 3 Tasikmalaya 15 tons of palm oil came from large private 4 Pangandaran 6 plantations. A 10 million tons from smallholder plantations and 2 million tons Source: Directorate General of Plantations 2015 came from large state plantations (Indonesian Plantation Statistics, 2015). Table 2 shows that Subang and West Java is one of the provinces in Tasikmalaya Regencies are smallholder Indonesia which has the potential to plantations in West Java that can already develop the oil palm plantations. Table 1 produce fresh fruit bunches (FFB). The shows the development of oil palm largest oil palm plantation in Subang production and area in West Java, which Regency with an area of 158 Ha. increased from 2011 to 2014 in the area Good economic prospects for palm and production. In 2011 amounted to 9 oil commodity, examined from the hectares and 16 thousand tons of increasing consumption and production of production. It increased in 2014 to 14 palm oil in the global market. It implicates hectares and 33 tons. the decrease of environmental quality and social inequality (Obidzinski, et al (2012); Rist, et al (2010)) Therefore, awareness is Table 1. Area and Palm Oil Production in West needed to manage palm oil production and Java in 2011 - 2014 consumption sustainably. This awareness Year Area (Ha) Production (Ton) led to initiatives from the Indonesian 2011 9,196 16.793 government to issue sustainable standards. 2012 9,039 20.072 In 2011 the Indonesian government issued a 2013 13,611 32.643 regulation regarding the Minister of 2014 14,077 33.518 Agriculture Number 19/Permentan/ OT.14/ Source: Directorate General of Plantations 2015 3/2011/March 29, 2011 concerning the 49 Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Plantation environmentally friendly oil palm products Guidelines. It is called Indonesia Sustainable (Agustina et al., 2014; Ernah, 2015; Fuadah Palm Oil (ISPO). ISPO is a reference in and Ernah, 2018). Smallholder oil palm developing sustainable oil palm plantations plantations contribute 40% of national in Indonesia where in the ISPO guidelines production (Directorate General of there are various laws and regulations Plantations, 2015). relating to the exploitation of oil palm Various problems faced by oil palm plantations in Indonesia. (Imansari, 2015). farmers in Indonesia, especially independent This regulation was updated on March 2015 smallholders, include (1) farmers having a to become the Sustainable Palm Oil low bargaining value on the price of fresh Certification System. Regulations regarding fruit marks (FFB); (2) farmers often use ISPO standards are mandatory for all seeds that are not qualified and organized, plantation companies but voluntary for so it is difficult to get capital (Pramudya, et smallholder businesses (Ministry of al, 2015). Farmers, especially independent Agriculture, 2015). smallholders who implement ISPO, are still The ISPO standard consists of 7 few in Indonesia due to several reasons, principles as follows: including the lack of ISPO socialization to 1. Plantation management and licensing farmers (Astari and Lovett 2019; Higgins system and Richards 2019) 2. Application of technical guidelines for palm oil processing culture RESEARCH METHOD 3. Environmental management and monitoring The object of this study was farmers 4. Responsibility towards workers who have and were still working independently 5. Responsibility towards individuals and on palm oil in Serang panjang Regency, communities Subang Regency, and Panca tengah District, 6. Empowering community economic Tasikmalaya Regency by using census activities method. This investigation was conducted 7. Commitment to continuous economic from June to September 2017 using a improvement qualitative approach. Qualitative research In Government Regulation Number design intended to understand the 11/Permentan/OT.140/3/2015, the ISPO phenomena about what was experienced by principle consists of several attachments the research subjects such as behavior, perception, motivation, actions and so on depending on the type of business, namely: holistically (intact) by describing data in the a. Appendix II for plantation companies form of words, and language and utilizing that carry out integrated plantation various natural methods . Determination of cultivation business with processing location was done intentionally based on and renewable energy observations and secondary data. Data b. Appendix III for plantation companies that carry out plantation cultivation sources used in this study consisted of business primary data and secondary data (Sachan et c. Appendix IV for companies engaged in al. 2018; Chen and Rui 2018). Primary data the processing of plantation products obtained from surveys and in-depth d. Appendix V for the plasma plantation interviews, while secondary data originated business from literature. e. Appendix VI for the independent RESULTS AND DISCUSSION garden business One of the objectives of ISPO The local farmer oil palm implementation is the achievement of plantations in Subang Regency were the 50 largest in West Java, located in Serang gender, age, level of education, length of panjang District with an area of farming, and farming status (Chin et al. approximately 115 Ha, which covers three 2019; Jelsma et al. 2019). The survey villages, Cinta mekar, Talagasari, and showed the majority of oil palm farmers are Leles. The first land clearing was carried male, aged 41-50 years old, have planted oil out in 2007, together with the formation of palm for 12 years, and make this oil palm the Cinta mekar farmer group. Then in farming as the primary income (Table 3). 2008, oil palm was planted using seeds Principles of Indonesia Sustainable from PTPN VIII and the Medan Palm Oil Palm Oil (ISPO). In this case, the Research Center (PPKS). ISPO principles that used were the Tasikmalaya Regency is one of the legality of plantations, the organization of areas that develop oil palm plantations in farmers and the management of farmers, West Java. The location is in the Panca the management, monitoring of the tengah District, precisely in Neglasari environment, and sustainable business Village with an area of 30 Ha, including 10 improvement. The results of interviews with Ha for TM and 20 Ha for TBM where oil farmers illustrate the application of policies palm cultivation in Neglasari Village began made by the government regarding in 2008. guidelines for conducting sustainable palm Characteristics of Oil Palm Farmers. The oil plantation business. (Setiawan et al. characteristics of oil palm growers include 2016; Larsen et al. 2014) Table 3. Characteristics of Oil Palm Farmers No Characteristics Number of people 1 Gender Male 30 Female 4 2. Age (year) 30 – 40 12 41 – 50 13 51 – 60 8 61 – 65 1 3. Education Elementary 24 Junior high school 4 Senior high school 5 Bachelor 1 4 Long work (year) 3 12 5 4 7 5 8 1 9 5 10 7 5 Farming Status Main income 21 Side income 13 Total 34 Source: Survey 2017 51 Farmers' Perception of Indonesian best practices will be able to maintain and Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO). Perception improve the quality of oil palm. is a process in organizing and interpreting Oil Palm Farmers 'Perception on the stimulus that will be received by Farmers' Organization and Plantation organisms or individuals so that it can be Management. According to Robbins meaningful as the most intimate activity in (2006), the organization is a forum formed individuals (Walgito, 2004). If related to by the community in achieving results that farmers' perceptions of ISPO, it can be previously could not be achieved individually. interpreted that these perceptions were the This organization will relate to work and views that farmers have in seeing the environmental situations so there will be benefits derived from the ISPO principles as many interrelated behaviors such as tasks, guidelines in their oil palm plantation work, attendance, work shifts, productivity, business. human appearance and management that Four ISPO principles can be used for aim to achieve common goals. independent oil palm plantations, namely: The majority of farmers agreed with the legality of independent smallholders the organization of farmers and nursery the organization of smallholders and the management. With the existence of an management of